July 18
"And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'"
- Luke 23:42 (RSV)
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Firm Faith
July 17
“Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail...”
Tranquility, courage, faith. We are given three main orders through the reading from Isaiah today: to remain tranquil, to keep courage, and to have a firm faith.
Tranquility: to be calm Courage: to be fearless Faith: to have confidence in something
In our day to day lives, we are called to remain calm, fearless, and to have confidence in our Father. But spiritual warfare is real, and as a result, we don’t always respond like we should.
Pick one of those words: tranquil, courage, or faith, and pray for an increase of that specific gift in your life this week. Ask our Lord what keeps you from that gift, and ask Him to give you the grace to overcome anything that gets in your way of being who He is calling you to be this week!
Completion
July 17
"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
- Philippians 1:6 (RSV)
Putting Up with Trials and Temptations
"What toil we must endure, what fatigue, while we are attempting to climb hills and the summits of mountains! What, that we may ascend to heaven! If you consider the promised reward, what you endure is less. Immortality is given to the one who perseveres; everlasting life is offered; the Lord promises His Kingdom." - St. Cyprian of Carthage
To lose is to find
July 16
The Gospel reading today from Matthew is rich in importance and explains so clearly how much we are called to love God.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”
Wow. This call, while so large, is so beautiful. And we have living examples of individuals who have embraced this very Gospel. Mary, Abraham, all the saints- each individual allowed God to love them to the point of becoming entirely His. And this example is something we, too, must follow.
Tonight, make a list of the important things in your life. Then, order them based on how you spend the most time. Finally, look at your list of priorities. What does it say?
Lord, reorder my life to revolve around You and not the other way around. Amen.
Ripples
July 16
"Among those around you, apostolic soul, you are the stone fallen into the lake. With your word and example produce a first ripple...and it will produce another...and then another, and another...each time wider."
- St. Josemaría Escrivá
Without Difficulty
July 15
"Everyone knows that a guide is needed in order to climb a mountain without difficulty. The same thing happens when it is a matter of a spiritual climb...and even more so in that here one must avoid the pitfalls set by the devil, who dearly wants to bring us down.'"
-The Three Ages of the Interior Life,
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
His Glory
July 15
Ephesians 1:3-14 holds a very special place in my heart. There is so much wisdom and beauty packed in these verses.
To summarize some of them:
•God has blessed us in Christ with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavens •He CHOSE us in Him before the foundation of the world •He chose us to be holy and WITHOUT blemish before Him •We are destined for adoption to Himself through Jesus •We have been redeemed by His blood •He has told us the mysteries of His will •We were destined according to His will to EXIST for the PRAISE of His glory
In mass today, the priest shared with us that God has given each and every single one of us the authority to go out and share Him with the world.
If you need an extra boost of courage to take the authority He’s given you, reread the list above, and let Him remind you of all the great things YOU are destined for!
Nothing is Concealed
July 14
“Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.”
One thing I’ve learned over the years about sin is that the more I hide it, or pretend it doesn’t exist, the larger it grows. But the closer I get to the source of Light, the more I have to acknowledge its existence.
A friend once said that our sin is like the dirt on a windshield; the more we drive in the direction of the sun, the clearer the spots become.
See, sin and darkness cannot remain unexposed forever. At some point, it becomes too much to handle. Whether it’s tomorrow, or in two decades, we will have to face our own wretchedness, because we have a Father who really loves us and wants the absolute best for us.
God, I know how pitiful I am when I try and pretend I’m okay where I am. Help me to face my weaknesses, knowing You are right there with me. You, Father, will never leave me to face it alone, and because of Your light, I can do all things through You who strengthens me.
The Way, the Truth and the Life
July 14
"Our sensible appetites, inclined to sensuality and to sloth, need to be vivified by contact with the virginal body of Christ, who endured most frightful sufferings for love of us. We, who are always inclined to pride, to lack of consideration, to forgetfulness of the greatest truths, to spiritual folly, need to be illumined by contact with the sovereignly luminous intellect of the Savior, who is 'the way, the truth, and the life.'"
-The Three Ages of the Interior Life,
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
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